This invention is an improvement on the manufacturing methods disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,166, which is owned by the inventor herein and all of which is incorporated herein by reference. The “screens” referred to in such patent and below are given by way of example; the decorative works of art in such patent and made by the improved method of this invention can be used in multiple ways and for multiple display purposes.
Wood-burning fireplaces within houses and other buildings are nearly as old as houses and buildings themselves and serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. With the rise of modern central heating systems, fireplaces have more and more become things that are primarily of aesthetic concern only. Indeed, many homes that include fireplaces typically make little use of them even in winter, despite the fact that they provide two types of warmth and comfort—physical warmth and comfort to those nearby and the psychological warmth and comfort associated with innumerable memories and stories of family gatherings.
But functional fireplaces also involve the attendant well-known problems of preventing heat loss up the chimney, particularly when the fireplace is not in use. And, since fireplaces in homes are often considered visual focal points for the rooms they serve, the matter of the appearance of a fireplace is often also a primary concern. Solving these fireplace-related problems and concerns are addressed by the product made using the improved manufacturing method of this invention.
Decorative screens are used for a wide variety of other purposes, such as to provide a degree of privacy or to cover interior or exterior openings in homes or other structures. Providing decorative screens of remarkable appearance often depends almost primarily, if not exclusively, on the artistic ability of the creating artist, and not primarily on the nature of the structure. This invention is also directed toward improved manufacture of decorative screens. The improved manufacturing method of this invention also has bearing on manufacture of special decorative tiles such as are used on walls in buildings.
Manufacture of the unique decorative works and fireplace screens as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent tends to be fairly time-consuming, particularly with respect to creation of the “mosaic” of a great number of shattered glass pieces. With this in mind, it is a primary objective of this invention to improved and accelerate the manufacturing process, and to do so without compromising the unique artistic appearance of the resulting products. Other objectives will be apparent from the descriptions which follow.